Need advice on a dash, see pick

[Lineman]

So the truck is coming along in the body shop. Here is the dash out of it, what would you do? The truck is a 3/4 ton 2WD 8ft step side that I believe was ordered by the Department of Agriculture, so I am thinking the gauges may be right from the factory?

I will put them back if somebody can tell me where to get them reasonable, and I would pay somebody a few bucks to bring the dash and gauges back to original for reasonable. I am swamped with the truck itself.

http://6066gmcclub.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5809&stc=1&d=5809

Its always one more thing, I need the cover for the heater box under the hood covering the heater core, anybody have one to sell. Somebody put the wrong heater core in it and cut the cover up to make it fit.

Thanks again for all the help.

[Funky61]

The Bat O Meter is a factory item I believe but not the tach. Tach does look period correct.

[jbgroby]

The factory tach looks similar to the bat-o-meter as far as the casing goes, see pic, tach is on the left. The OEM clock is on the right.

[GMCNUT]

Bat o Meter is a fairly uncommonly seen accessory guage so if you like that, Id keep it. The Stewart Warner Tach is technically incorrect to the SUN Model GMC used, but unless you have to have the "correct" tach, I'd say keep that SW tach in there because it is clearly old and "period correct" and has such a great look compared to the correct one. The SUN tach was a hold over from the 1955-59 GMC series and shamefully GMC did not opt to change the Green squared off 55-59 series lettering font and coloration to adapt to the White temp speedo and fuel guages so the correct SUN tachs look very out of place in these clusters. I restored my cluster with a correct tach (see attached) and as you see it almost looks stupid in there compared to your White one. I vote you re-use your tach because it looks that much better to me

[bigblockv6]

Very well said GMCNUT:welldone: Strange why GMC didn't change the font to match the 60-66 gauges. Out of all the optional gauges the clock matches the best. Funny how all the rest of the optional gauges like oil pressure and ammeter were mismatches too.:pullinghairout: If you could get a hold of a Voltmeter which I have that gauge actually matched with the water temp and fuel gauge:thumbsup:

[Lineman]

Bat o Meter is a fairly uncommonly seen accessory guage so if you like that, Id keep it. The Stewart Warner Tach is technically incorrect to the SUN Model GMC used, but unless you have to have the "correct" tach, I'd say keep that SW tach in there because it is clearly old and "period correct" and has such a great look compared to the correct one. The SUN tach was a hold over from the 1955-59 GMC series and shamefully GMC did not opt to change the Green squared off 55-59 series lettering font and coloration to adapt to the White temp speedo and fuel guages so the correct SUN tachs look very out of place in these clusters. I restored my cluster with a correct tach (see attached) and as you see it almost looks stupid in there compared to your White one. I vote you re-use your tach because it looks that much better to me

Thanks for the reply, I wouldn't say it looks "stupid" by a long shot. Your dash looks nice to me. Did you paint that? Or is that that plating they used or some restoration thing?

I will have to test my tach and see if it even works, the volt meter works. Is the arrangement in the dash right as your tach is on the left?

Thanks again.

[bigblockv6]

I will have to test my tach and see if it even works, the volt meter works. Is the arrangement in the dash right as your tach is on the left?

Thanks again.[/QUOTE]

That is the correct arrangement if available with the Bat-O-Meter. If you had the Clock and Tach combo then the Tach would be on the Right. Basically the Bat-O-Meter was always mounted on the left and the clock always mounted on the right. The Tach could be either all depending on what combination of gauges you had. If you wanted all three the Bat-O-Meter could be mounted on the bottom of the dash, I've got that particular mount. The clock could be mounted in a special housing on top of the dash. Don't know if GMC offered the Tach with the steering column mount housing but that would also be a good alternative:upyes:

[Ed Snyder]

If you had the Clock and Tach combo then the Tach would be on the Right.

I think whether the tach was on the right or the left must have varied depending on which plant the truck came from. As you can see in this photo, the tach in the one ton Suburban my Dad bought new is mounted on the left with the clock on the right.

[GMCNUT]

Thanks for the reply, I wouldn't say it looks "stupid" by a long shot. Your dash looks nice to me. Did you paint that? Or is that that plating they used or some restoration thing?

I will have to test my tach and see if it even works, the volt meter works. Is the arrangement in the dash right as your tach is on the left?

Thanks again.

Well, I think I had my cluster housing chromed incorrectly actually - I think the whole cluster was probably vacuum metalized at the factory, but a satin silver paint used on the face around the guages - only the outer edge was "chrome". So technically mine is not right. I may go back and spray some argent silver over the face to try and make it more correct.
As for guage placement, I have owned and seen a couple dozen dealer added clocks and tachs and so far have yet to ever see a clock done by the GM dealer not on the Right - tachs always seem to be on the left and clocks on the right.

[bigblockv6]

I think whether the tach was on the right or the left must have varied depending on which plant the truck came from. As you can see in this photo, the tach in the one ton Suburban my Dad bought new is mounted on the left with the clock on the right.

Ed, I totally screwed up I must have been suffering from dyslexia earlier:pullinghairout::banghead:, I really meant if you got the clock and Tach combo then the clock would be on the right and the Tach would be on the left:ok:

[Ed Snyder]

Ed, I totally screwed up I must have been suffering from dyslexia earlier:pullinghairout::banghead:, I really meant if you got the clock and Tach combo then the clock would be on the right and the Tach would be on the left:ok:

I wonder if any of the plants in any of the years 62-66 reversed them with the tach on the right and/or the clock on the left. Anybody have evidence of that?

[Lineman]

Man you guys are too cool. It's a lot to keep up with.

Somebody gave the advice to clean mine up and go with what I have there as my dash is about right and the tach is at least period correct. Will that tach need the box on the firewall to make it work?

Think that dash will clean up back to original?

Oh, I forgot to mention that truck had a "Motor Minder" vacuum gauge up on top of the dash to the left also. I bought a NOS or at least a nice one to replace it. Did GMC do any stuff like that?

Also a gentleman stated along the way I may actually have a 1 Ton, somebody painted over the kick panel tag. So he may be right? Is there any easy way to tell?

I don't speak in absolutes for a reason.

I am going to try to start posting some picks and I will need help with parts, please keep your eye open for that.

Thanks again for all the help.

Jay

[Ed Snyder]

Man you guys are too cool. It's a lot to keep up with.

Also a gentleman stated along the way I may actually have a 1 Ton, somebody painted over the kick panel tag. So he may be right? Is there any easy way to tell?

I don't speak in absolutes for a reason.

Thanks again for all the help.

Jay

If your VIN starts with a "15", you've got a 3/4 ton. If it starts with a "25" you've got a one ton.

[bigblockv6]

I wonder if any of the plants in any of the years 62-66 reversed them with the tach on the right and/or the clock on the left. Anybody have evidence of that?

Maybe if the gauges were dealer installed that could have happened, never really saw them in opposite order. When my Father got his 62 K1000 which he special ordered the truck came from the factory with the clock on the right and the gauge pod was cut from the factory not exposing the chrome bezel on the clock which really gave it a factory appearance:thumbsup: He had the dealer install the Bat-O-Meter to fill in the blank spot on the left.

[Sponge]

I think whether the tach was on the right or the left must have varied depending on which plant the truck came from. As you can see in this photo, the tach in the one ton Suburban my Dad bought new is mounted on the left with the clock on the right.

Sir,

What is the knob on the left side of the ignition switch?
I had a switch on mine but Nothing was connected to it.

Thanks;

[Ed Snyder]

Sir,

What is the knob on the left side of the ignition switch?
I had a switch on mine but Nothing was connected to it.

Thanks;

The knob on the left side of the ignition switch with the "T" on it is the hand throttle, an option from the factory. I usually use it in conjunction with or instead of the choke during engine warm-up. It's a quick way to adjust idle speed. The more common use, I'm sure, was for trucks with something driven by a PTO, such as a winch or a hydraulic hoist, to boost RPMs while the truck was not being driven down the road.

On a level road it could also be used as a poor man's cruise control.